ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 113 
or four series. Stigmas pointed or subcapitate. Capsules cartilaginous or papery, (rarely coria- 
ceous) for the most part tri-cephalous, placenta nerve-like, or pyramidal, 3-sided—Mr. Royle 
found Hypericum perforatum on the Himalayas, and it seems not improbable other species 
may be found 
Norysca Sp.—Section Androseminee.—Sepals coriaceous, nearly equal, erect after an- 
thesis. Petals somewhat knife-shaped, obliquely acuminated, deciduous. Androphores 5, very 
short, deciduous. Ovary, 5-celled. Styles 5, often united to near the apex. Stigmas minute, 
suborbiculate. Capsule 5-celled, somewhat coriaceous, placenta pyramidal, 5 sided, 5 crested, 
(the crests bearing the seeds) persistent. Seed minute, straightish. 
To this genus our Hypericum mysorense, Prod. 1, page 99, belongs (V. mysorensis, 
Wight’s Icones, No. 56, V. myrtifolia? Spach) and H. Hookerianum, perhaps also, several of 
the Himalayan species. 
Beatuys. Mutis and Spach.—Section Brathydinee.—Sepals 5, unequal, or about equal, 
Petals, hatchet-shaped (dolabriformia), cuspidate, withering, involute after anthesis! Stamens 
somewhat definite in number, (9-30, rarely 5) or indefinite, (40-100) persistent. Ovary, 
l-celled. Styles 3, (rarely 4-6) straight or recurved, distinct. Stigmas thickish, subcapitate. 
stat papery, or sub-coriaceous, l-celled, 3 (rarely 4-6) valved, placentas filiform, or nerve- 
e. 
To this genus our Hypericum japonicum and Wightianum, (the plant here figured) and 
an intermediate form, perhaps a species, lately found in Mysore by Lieut. Munro belong. Of this 
last, my specimen does not enable me to determine whether it is really a species or only a luxu- 
riant variety of B. japonica. It appears to be a much larger plant, has two stipitate glands on 
each edge of the sepals, and the margins of the leaves are furnished with a row of black dots. In 
our characters of both B. japonica and Wightiana, it is particularly mentioned that the 
leaves have not black dots, which led Mr. Mesure to conclude that this one was certainly 
new on account of its having them. On looking for them, I found that the black colour had 
faded in drying leaving very pale brown spots, only to be observed by the most careful examin- 
ation, similar ones are sometimes, though not always found on the leaves of both the others, 
whence I conclude this is a character of no value from its not being constant even in the same 
species, nor even on all the leaves of the same plant: the stipitate glands of the calyx, I 
think, a better’ character. The minute and copious analysis of B. Wightiana in the accom- 
panying figure will afford a correct idea of the characters of the genus, and if compared with 
those of Worysca,will prove, that, it is not without good reason the overgrown and polymorphous 
genus Hypericum is broken down. I acknowledge that, judging from characters only, I think some 
of M. Spach’s genera are made to rest on points of perhaps too trivial importance, but gene- 
rally, [ believe, it will be found we are great gainers by his labours, for previously a more unsa- 
tisfactory genus to examine scarcely existed in the vegetable kingdom. 
P. S.—After this account of Hypericinee was written and partly in type, I was Jed in the 
course of my examination of Guttifere, to the very unexpected conclusion, that the genus 
Xanthochymus, could not be retained in that order, and that, with the exception of the seed 
alone it is much more justly referable to the tribe Desmostemonee of this order, than to Gutti- 
reasons for adopting this opinion will be explained while treating of Guttifere, and 
will I think fully establish its correctness, and at the same time still further prove the inti- 
. . 
mate relationship existing between these two orders. 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 43. 
1, Brathys (Hypericum) Wightiana—nzatural size. 8. A seed. 
2. An Pipe 9 flower. 9. The same cut transversely. 
3. Anthers. 10. The testa removed. 
ovary somewhat advanced cut transversely, 11. The embryo. : 
showing it 1-celled with 3 parietal placentz. . A portion of a leaf magnified, to show the pellu- 
5. A fruit nearly mature—natural size. cid dots—with the exception mentioned—all more or less 
6. The same magnified. magnified, 
7. The mature fruit after dehiscence, showing the 
manner in which the valves separate from the placente. 
